Patrick's Places: Patrick Hamilton’s Distinction Between Law and Gospel, Faith and Works

Patrick Hamilton was a Scottish Reformer who, at the age of 23, was the first martyr of the Reformation in Scotland. While studying in Germany, Patrick was influenced by the teachings of Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon, particularly Luther's "Freedom of a Christian Man" and Melanchthon's "Loci Communes" or "Common Places in Theology." Under the tutelage of Francis Lambert at the University of Marburg, Patrick authored a treatise for discussion and disputation which he named after Melanchthon's "Common Places." Hamilton's good friend John Frith translated Patrick's work from the Latin and named it "Patrick's Places." In this little treatise, Master Patrick profoundly elucidates the distinction between the Law and the Gospel, faith and works by way of eighteen propositions proven via deductive reasoning. This work is taken from volume eight of John Foxe's "Acts and Monuments," better known as "The Book of Martyrs." Foxe adds an introduction and a very valuable commentary on "Patrick's Places." A brief biography of Patrick Hamilton by Lutheran Pastor Jordan McKinley is also included. McKinley, a Scotsman, regards Patrick Hamilton as one of his "fathers in the faith." Every Christian will gain great benefit by reading and meditating upon "Patrick's Places."